Russia is to allow civilians to freely buy certified gas masks for the first time in more than three decades, including equipment designed for children, under a measure signed into law by President Vladimir Putin.
From March 1 next year, Russians will be able to purchase certified civilian filtering gas masks, including child-sized models and protective chambers for babies. The products have been restricted from unrestricted retail sale since 1992.
The decision comes as Moscow expands a wider programme to restore Soviet-era civil-defence infrastructure, against a backdrop of heightened tensions with Nato and the continuing war in Ukraine.
Russian authorities insist the change is intended to establish quality standards and remove counterfeit or substandard protective equipment from the market. EMERCOM said that previously there had been no approved standards for civilian respiratory protection equipment and that low-quality and counterfeit products had been available, the Metro reported.
But the move has attracted attention because the equipment is designed to protect against chemical, biological and radiological hazards.
Pro-Kremlin military commentator Yury Baranchik described the decision as “particularly relevant” alongside the renovation of Soviet-era shelters.
He said: “Russian citizens will be allowed to purchase gas masks for their entire family. The ban, which has been in place for over 30 years, will be lifted….
“This is particularly relevant in the context of ongoing renovations of Soviet-era bomb shelters in several cities. Good news, especially for the West.
“It would be beneficial to supplement this with real-world testing on the Novaya Zemlya archipelago.”
Russian officials have also been rebuilding civil-defence capacity. EMERCOM has previously said that more than 20,000 shelters were being restored across 82 Russian regions.
The renewed focus on civilian protection comes as Russia and Nato remain locked in a period of heightened confrontation. Earlier this month, concerns were also raised over alleged Russian activity involving undersea infrastructure in the Arctic.
Separately, Putin has refused to disclose whether Russia could target British drone-production facilities, describing the issue as a “military secret”.
The gas-mask announcement does not itself establish that Moscow expects a war with Nato. The stated justification from EMERCOM is to regulate the civilian market and ensure that protective equipment meets approved standards.
Nevertheless, the combination of newly permitted household protective equipment, child protection devices and renewed investment in civil-defence infrastructure is likely to fuel scrutiny of how Russia is preparing its population for potential emergencies.
The measure also illustrates how civil-defence planning, largely associated with the Soviet era, is once again becoming more visible in Russia as the security environment deteriorates.
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